About Tibet Visa Application from Nepal

As Nepal and Tibet share a long border line, many tourists choose to enter Tibet from Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, by air or by road. According to the Chinese immigration regulation, all travelers who enter Tibet from Nepal are required to apply for Group Tourist Visa, a kind of single entry visa, through the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

The group visa is obtained by your tour operator since individual applications to the embassy are not permitted. The group visa is valid for 15 or 20 days, and the group size may be any number of travelers, even just one traveler. All the names of your group members will be listed on the group visa, a sheet of paper, along with your nationalities, birth dates, and passport numbers.

Price of Chinese Visa Application and Visa Service in Kathmandu

Nationality

Times of Entry

Ordinary (US$)

Urgent (US$)

US Citizen

Single

160

176

Canadian Citizen

Single

105

120

Israeli Citizens

Single

62

80

Romanian Citizen

Single

105

120

Serbian Citizen

Single

35

60

Albanian Citizens & Micronesian Citizens

Single

35

55

Other Citizen

Single

71

88

Note:
1. Ordinary: 4 working days; Urgent: 3 working days.
2. The working day is from Monday to Friday.

How to Get Tibet Visa in Nepal?

When departing from Nepal to Tibet, you will also need to apply for your Tibet visa and permit through a local authorized travel agency, for neither Tibet Tourism Bureau nor Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu accepts individual applications for Tibet travel permit and Tibet visa. Along with the Group Tourist Visa, the Tibet visa is obtained by your tour operator, using the scanned copy of your passport, once your tour has been booked. Check the following guidelines to know the details about how to get Tibet visa in Nepal.

Step one:
Before leaving for Tibet, you should confirm your Nepal to Tibet travel itinerary and tour services with a local tour company, like ChinaTibetTrain. We will apply for the Tibet visa on your behalf. You are required to mail the scanned copy of your passport to our tour company in Lhasa. Then, we will get the Tibet Travel Permit and visa invitation letter issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau. It will take 5-7 working days to go through the whole process.

Step two:
Arrive in Kathmandu at least 4 days in advance. Contact the local office of ChinaTibetTrain in Kathmandu, give your passport to our staff and pay for the Chinese visa application and visa service. It will take 3 full working days for the visa process at the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu.

Step three:
Our staff will deliver the visa to your hotel in Kathmandu as soon as it is issued. When you leave for Tibet, remember to bring the three documents: Chinese Visa, photocopies of Tibet Travel Permit, and the application form.

Please Note:
1. Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu only works on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
2. The visa application must be submitted before 11 am at the Embassy so that visa will be issued on the afternoon of the third day.
3. If you do not have a fixed plan in China, you should work with the agency to apply for the longest period of time, up to 30 days.
4. For both Permit and Visa from Nepal, you should be in Kathmandu at least four days before your tour into Tibet to process the application.
5. Please be aware that the Group Visa is a special type of visa to Tibet. Tourists with a Chinese visa need to reapply the group visa when they enter Tibet from Nepal. A Chinese visa obtained before will automatically expire when the new one is given. Therefore, it is suggested to enter Tibet directly from the mainland China if you already get a Chinese visa.

#Check to read more about Apply for Tibet Visa in China

Q & A about Tibet Visa Application from Nepal

1. Does it mean I must join in a group tour to Tibet when I apply for the group visa in Kathmandu?

According to the policy of the Chinese government, individual applications of the Group Tourist Visa to the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu are not permitted. Also, all international tourists traveling in Tibet have to be accompanied with a guide. Therefore, you need to either customize your private tour or join the group tour via an authorized travel agency to get your “Group Tourist Visa” and “Tibet Travel Permit” to legally enter Tibet from Nepal.

2. How many days in advance should I apply for the Tibet permit and Chinese Visa if I enter Tibet from Nepal?

To travel from Nepal to Tibet, you need to have both Group Tourist Visa and Tibet Travel Permit. The Tibet Travel Permit should be applied at least 2 weeks in advance. Mail the copy of your passport to us and we will apply the permit on your behalf. The Group Tourists Visa is applied right after you arrive in Kathmandu. Normally, it takes 3 working days to process the Group Tourist Visa. Totally around 4 days are needed to spend in Nepal to obtain your Group Tourist Visa.

3. Can Bhutanese passport holder get Visa for Lhasa tour?

So far, Tibet Travel Permit is only available for a limited number of Bhutanese tourists via Pilgrim Center. For the majority of Bhutanese tourists, Tibet Permit is hard to get. Hopefully, it will be fully open to all Bhutanese tourists.

4. Can I travel to Tibet from Nepal without having a Group Tourists Visa since I already have a Chinese Visa?

Only Group Tourist Visa and Tibet Travel Permit are legal travel documents that can help you travel from Nepal to Tibet. Once you apply for Group Tourist Visa, you previous Chinese Visa will become invalid.

In this case, if you already have a Chinese Visa, it is highly suggested to enter Tibet from mainland China. You can take an overland tour from Lhasa to Kathmandu and enjoy a Nepal tour after your trip in Tibet.